The Hindu : Modi opting for early elections?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 18, 2002

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Modi opting for early elections?

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR JULY 17 . The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, has convened a special meeting of the Cabinet at his official residence at 8 p.m. tomorrow, presumably to discuss the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly to pave the way for early elections.

The Cabinet spokesman and Urban Development Minister, I. K. Jadeja, however, said that it would be a mere ``dinner get-together'' but other ministerial sources confirmed that the meeting could take up any official matter.

Now that the Jagannath rath yatra has been peaceful, the presidential election is out of the way, the Chief Minister's security adviser, K. P. S. Gill, has left and most of the relief camps have been closed down, there are clear indications that Mr. Modi is thinking of early elections, if agreed to by the Election Commission. The appointment of his arch-rival, Shankarsinh Waghela, as president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, has given a further impetus to the dissolution process as Mr. Modi would like to give his political rival the minimum possible time to face the BJP challenge.

But Mr. Modi is facing a stiff challenge from within the BJP legislature party, with a majority of the MLAs opposed to dissolution of the Assembly. In a bid to stall the move, a section of them has launched a hush-hush campaign to force Mr. Modi to allow the present House to complete its term.

Most of the BJP MLAs, particularly those who are doubtful of re-nomination, have their own reasons to oppose the dissolution. Mr. Modi has given indications that more than 40 per cent of the sitting members would be sidelined to accommodate new and young blood. If Mr. Modi has the last word in selection, the known supporters of his political rivals — the former Chief Minister, Keshubhai Patel, the Union Textile Minister, Kashiram Rana, and the State Industries Minister, Suresh Mehta — will have reasons to feel apprehensive of securing re-nomination.

Some MLAs also are not confident of getting re-elected, particularly in the Kutch-Saurashtra region, where the communal card has failed to make much impact and the "non-performance" of the Government has made their task harder.

At least 25 sitting members are also apprehensive that if re-nominated, their nominations could be rejected on grounds of "criminal background'' under the rules framed by the Election Commission and would prefer to go to the polls only after Parliament amends the act.

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